


Evolution

by wookiekisses



Category: Assassin's Creed
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Daemons, Daddy Issues, Gen, Hurt No Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Shaun wants to help but is stubbornly british, desmond has hella trust issues, i largely blame Pokemon go, the Pokemon daemon AU nobody asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-07-12
Updated: 2016-07-19
Packaged: 2018-07-23 14:55:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7467642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wookiekisses/pseuds/wookiekisses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The world is ending, the Temple is a breeding ground for family issues, and all Shaun can think about is how Desmond so ferociously hides his daemon from the rest of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Don't

Nobody knows how or why the first Pokémon emerged, just that they did. Nobody knows if they were here before humanity or if they arrived alongside humanity, but for as long as humans have been around, so have the Pokémon. It is the one indisputable fact of life, that Pokémon have always been here with humans, because every culture, every religion, every nation on every continent, has stories about the Bringer.

The Bringer is a mystery in and of itself, but its existence is irrefutable. Whenever a child is conceived, no matter where in the world, the expectant parent will stumble across an egg three months before birth. It might be sitting on the doorstep, hidden in the flower box on the window, or sometimes even placed in the parent's bed, but it is always found. The egg is generally cherished, brought into the home, placed in the nursery, kept safe at all costs, for contained within the egg is said to be a child's soul: a special Pokémon that will hatch the day the child is born, that will share a bond so deep and profound with that child that nobody will ever be able to separate them, a bond that can only be broken by death. These Pokémon, sometimes referred to as Daemons, have a different coloration than their wild counterparts. It is the only way that anyone other than their human could tell them apart from a wild or trained Pokémon. They were said to be a reflection of a person's soul, their most winning and their worst traits, and one could not live without the other.

When William Miles held his son for the first time and almost immediately had his pants set on fire by a growling little daemon desperate to get to his human, he knew that his son would be incredibly stubborn, but extraordinarily strong one day.

OOOOOO

"Desmond. Desmond!"

"Fuck off Shaun. I'm not in the mood right now," Desmond hissed, stalking away from the main area of the Temple where his father, Shaun, and Rebecca were all set up. He had been in the Animus for days and he comes out to his father pushing him harder, demanding more, berating him again, and when he finally snapped he got punched in the face. Today was not his day.

When a hand settled on his arm, Desmond's arm jerked back on instinct, ready to throw a punch that faltered when he turned and saw the concern written across Shaun's face. He anger faded from a roaring blaze to a smoldering flame when he saw how Gwen's tail twitched in agitation and how she looked ready to wind circles around his legs to calm him down; if Shaun's unreadable Persian daemon was visibly upset, Desmond could only imagine how much Shaun wanted to help. Or kill him. Some days it was hard to tell.

"I'm sorry about what happened," Shaun said instead of feeding into Desmond's ire by responding to his request that he fuck off. "It's not fair of your father to push you as hard as he's been."

"It's not like it's anything new," Desmond said, shrugging Shaun's hand off of his arm. "It's been this way ever since I was a kid. He doesn't care about me, he cares about the Brotherhood."

Shaun watched as Desmond slipped into one of the side rooms of the Temple, his shoulders hunched in and loneliness clear as day on his face. He was so caught up in the shock of Desmond's emotions that he almost missed what Desmond muttered next.

"That's all any of you care about."

Shaun's heart sank and he knelt down beside Gwen to stroke the crown of her head.

He'll come around. He always does, she said, her velvety voice echoing in Shaun's head.

"I certainly hope so," Shaun sighed, standing up and brushing off his trousers. "He doesn't deserve this."

OOOOOO

After a few hours, Shaun decided that enough was enough. Desmond had been sulking in the many rooms of the Temple for hours, climbing all over the place and deliberately avoiding anyone who came near him. He had stumbled across Juno a few times which was no doubt fueling his atrocious mood, but he needed to eat and to rest, and so Shaun stripped off his cardigan, rolled up his sleeves, and nodded at Gwen before hauling himself up the side of the odd fixtures in the side room. He had seen Desmond go up this way earlier and so he knew (relatively) how to get to him. Gwen grumbled until Shaun held out the gold ball he carried.

"I don't see another way for you to get up here," he said. Gwen rolled her eyes but allowed herself to get sucked into the Pokéball. Shaun released her as soon as he was on the platform above the fixture, and she stretched luxuriously before following after him.

 _You do realise that this is just your way of asking Desmond to punch you in the face, yeah?_ she asked, batting a few rocks with her foot playfully.

"Probably, but I have to try. The world is ending soon and I honestly don't want him to die alone and miserable if we can't prevent it," Shaun muttered in reply, hopping across a gap. Green followed, landing gracefully at his side, and remained silent as they continued on the path. It took them several minutes before they reached a small doorway that was brightly illuminated. Gwen began to press forward but Shaun threw out a hand, halting her. The light from the room was flickering and warm, not the harsh, artificial lighting of the Temple but the glow of fire.

 _Do you think_...? Gwen asked.

 _Must be. I've never seen his, but it wouldn't be surprising for his daemon to be a fire type_ , Shaun answered, opting for mental communication for once.

"-n't understand, why's it always gotta be like this? Nobody else has to put their fucking brain in a blender...yeah, I know but that doesn't make it right for him to...ugh, why are you on his side?!...I know...I miss it too. When all this is over I'm gonna disappear for good this time, and if they ever come to find me I'll just tell them to fuck off, that I'm retired...heh, like that'll work...yeah, I guess..."

The one sided conversation confirmed Shaun's suspicions that Desmond was talking to his daemon, and so he crept forward, hoping to get a glimpse of the secret Desmond kept so close to his chest. Just as he was about to peer around the corner, he knocked a rock with his foot, sending it skittering over the ledge in front of him. Desmond flew to his feet and the unmistakeable sound of a Pokéball being activated rang out, followed immediately by angry footsteps.

"I told you to leave me alone," Desmond snarled as he emerged from the room. Shaun rubbed the back of his neck and for once in his life was afraid to face off against Desmond. He had certainly invaded the man's privacy and the look on Desmond's face was a little too close to Altaïr's "I'm going to kill you" face for Shaun to be comfortable.

"I wanted to let you know that dinner's been made...you don't have to eat with us, but you should eat something," he muttered. Gwen chirruped in agreement, butting her head against Desmond's knee since she apparently was the one who wasn't mildly nervous. Desmond deflated at that and sighed.

"Thanks," he said, looking down at Gwen. "Uh...I um...may I?"

Shaun smiled a bit at Desmond's hesitancy and waved his hand. "That's for her to decide, not me, but I doubt she'll bite you since she initiated it," he answered. Desmond's lips twitched up into a smile and he scratched the space between Gwen's velvety ears fondly. Warmth blossomed in Shaun's chest, the result of someone touching his daemon with good intentions. If Gwen touched them, he didn't feel it, but if someone touched Gwen he knew.

"Why haven't we seen yours?" Shaun blurted out after a minute of Desmond petting Gwen and making Shaun's heart race in his chest. Desmond looked up and sighed.

"The Assassins have taken everything I have Shaun. My life, my body, my mind...it's the only thing I have left of me that is actually mine. I can't risk anyone taking my soul from me too."

"Nobody would take your daemon from you Desmond."

Desmond let out a cold laugh and stopped petting Gwen.

"My father has done it before as punishment for not listening to him. I have no doubt in my mind that he'd do it again."

Shaun was left standing there in shock as Desmond leapt away gracefully, a cold sense of horror blanketing his body. Gwen growled low in her throat and wound her way around his legs.

 _I'll kill him_ they both thought in unison.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something dark gleamed in Desmond's eyes and suddenly the room felt too small...Oh, thought Shaun. Oh.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you all enjoy :)

The second Desmond was out of the Animus, he was up and scuttling off to one of his many hidey holes. Shaun bit back a sigh and stood, stretching until his back cracked pleasantly, and then started out after him. Rebecca shot Shaun a knowing look, her eyes fond and worried at the same time, and her Jolteon, Tek, sparked in amusement. Gwen lunged at him with a hiss before following after Shaun, drawing a laugh from Rebecca as Tek scurried back to her side to nose at whatever project she was working on now. 

Desmond's latest hiding spot didn't require any climbing, but rather it required that Shaun squeeze between slabs of fallen rock until he found himself in a small side room. The room was dark, almost too dark to see in, but he could see the shadowy outline of Desmond standing towards the back corner. 

"You shouldn't have followed me," Desmond said as Gwen slithered in behind Shaun. His hood was up and his back was toward Shaun, but Shaun knew he wasn't doing well just by the hunch of the man's shoulders. 

"Then perhaps you shouldn't run off every time you're out of the Animus," Shaun suggested. Desmond made a short, disgusted noise, and kicked a loose stone against the wall. 

"I'll do whatever I damn well please when I'm not locked in that machine," Desmond said. 

"You know you're supposed to clear any explorations with William first." 

"Like I give a damn what he wants." The reply was unsurprisingly venomous. Shaun pinched the bridge of his nose. Wrong approach. 

"Look, Desmond...I just...I'm worried about you, alright?" Shaun admitted. The Desmond that they had known throughout what Shaun referred to as the Ezio days was gone, replaced by a darker, angrier, more broken, and more cynical Desmond. Dark and cynical were supposed to be Shaun's forte, but there was Desmond scoffing at Shaun's concern. 

"Don't act like you give a shit about me," Desmond snapped. 

"It's not an act Desmond," Shaun argued. 

"Yeah right. You want to pretend you're on my side, that you think William is such a bad guy, that you wish I could have more time outside the Animus, but all you really care about is your stupid fucking agenda," Desmond rambled, turning around to take a few steps towards Shaun. Gwen growled in warning but did nothing to put herself between Desmond and Shaun. 

"If I could take your place I would, trust me," Shaun replied.

"Yeah right. You'd never want to risk your precious mind. You knew from the beginning what that thing would do to me, and yet you never even thought of another way with all your smarts, did you?" 

Shaun was a bit taken aback by this. Where had this even come from? Desmond's anger towards his father was justified, but towards Shaun? Shaun had been trying his hardest to make Desmond's life easier these past few weeks. He had been extremely diligent with his database entries, deliberately making them as funny as he could, and had taken to picking up whatever small things he could that he knew Desmond would like. He had seen the man practically hoarding oranges the other day. 

"Desmond...you know that's not true," Shaun murmured, refusing to flinch when Desmond crowded into his space. They were both Assassins, but Desmond had Ezio's lifetime of training and Altair's savagery, and Shaun wasn't even all that fond of spilling blood. It wouldn't be a fair fight, even if he had Gwen to help him. 

"How do I know that?" Desmond asked. Something dark gleamed in Desmond's eyes and suddenly the room felt too small. The air between them thickened and Shaun was about to take a stumbling step backward when Desmond threw his arms around Shaun and hauled the other man into him. Shaun was about to panic when Desmond's head fell into the crook of Shaun's neck and Desmond began to shake. 

_Oh,_ thought Shaun.  _Oh_. 

Shaun's hands came up and he placed one on the back of Desmond's head, using the other to rub small circles into Desmond's back as the Assassin let out a choked sob. 

"I'm tired of going crazy Shaun," Desmond croaked, and Shaun's throat felt tight. 

"I'm tired of watching you go crazy," Shaun admitted, resting his cheek atop Desmond's head. He would be remiss to ignore his feelings for the man, feelings that had evolved from annoyance to tolerance to friendship to something that was unfortunately close to love. Where William saw carelessness, selfishness, stupidity, and a lack of direction, Shaun saw bravery, independence, selflessness, and a need for something more than the crazy conspiracy theory that they all lived. "But I don't know how to help," Shaun added, his fingers convulsing in the thick material of Desmond's sweatshirt. He hated the dampness building against his neck, Desmond's quiet tears no doubt, but he had no idea how to stop them. 

"Don't tell me to go away," Desmond said. Shaun's breath shook and he held Desmond more tightly to his chest. 

"God, no, Desmond, I...I never wanted you to go away. I was a prat, alright, but never...you're one of the few friends I've got," Shaun murmured, wishing that he could stop Desmond's shaking. Desmond nodded into his neck and took a few deep, stuttering breaths. 

"Just...stay, okay? Nobody else seems to realize that I'm falling apart at the seams," Desmond requested after a few minutes had passed. Shaun had yet to move from where he was, holding Desmond tightly, his cheek pressed against Desmond's short hair, one hand tangled in the man's jacket, but he still nodded. 

"I'm not going anywhere," Shaun breathed. Desmond pulled back then, wiping at his eyes with the backs of his hands and letting out an embarrassed laugh. 

"Sorry," Desmond muttered. 

"No need." 

Desmond began pacing back and forth, running his hands over his scalp, tugging at his jacket, radiating anxiety so severe that Shaun began to feel claustrophobic. Gwen wound around Shaun's legs and he calmed instantly. 

"Desmond?" 

"Hm?" 

"I know...I know you want to keep it a secret, but I think that some time with your daemon would do you some good right now. You asked me to stay but I think that, in this situation, you need that. So. I can uh. I can go if you want, but I'm just lending you my honest opinion," Shaun said, his tongue tripping clumsily over his words for once. Desmond thought about it for a moment and then nodded, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a small, gold ball that expanded the moment it hit his hand. Shaun made to leave. 

"You can stay," Desmond said just as Shaun was ducking into the tunnel that had led him here. Shaun stared down at Gwen in amazement for a moment and then turned back around. Desmond's face was pale, even in the darkness, but he gripped the gold ball with determination and then tossed it lightly into the air. A flash of red light illuminated the room for a brief instant, and then it was replaced with a crackling, warm glow as the ball fell to the ground with a clink. Shaun's eyebrows went up and both he and Gwen were trapped in a sort of stunned silence for a moment as they took in the sight of a Charmeleon standing in front of Desmond, just tall enough that its head brushed Desmond's hand when it walked over to his side, glaring at both man and daemon alike. Distrust was written across its face, eyes glinting dangerously, and its tail flame flickered angrily as it latched its claws into Desmond's jeans. That would explain the occasional triad of holes that appeared in the man's clothing at least. 

"This is Alec. Alec, that's Shaun and his daemon Gwen," Desmond said, crouching down to hug the Charmeleon to his side. Alec growled a bit at them despite nuzzling his horned head into Desmond's chin, drawing a small smile from the Assassin. 

_Alec. Defender of man. An appropriate name_ Gwen said, yawning so that she could flash her fangs at Alec. Alec's tail burned a bit brighter at that, and Shaun reached down to tweak Gwen's ear. 

_Don't antagonise him. This shows a lot of trust on Desmond's part_ Shaun responded. Gwen rolled her eyes but then sank down so that she was laying on the floor, her tail swishing back and forth idly. 

OOOOOO

**_He's one of the ones that puts you in the machine_** Alec hissed once Shaun's daemon had taken to lounging about. Shaun looked distinctly uncomfortable, so Alec knew that Gwen was just putting on a show. 

_**He's also the only one that's actually on my side**_ Desmond said, shaking Alec's head gently by grasping his horn and going side to side. Alec grumbled at the movement but allowed it anyway, being careful not to whack Desmond with his tail. He had accidentally set Desmond on fire one too many times, and neither of them were exactly fond of the experience. 

"So you're not going to say anything about it?" Desmond asked after a second. Shaun looked puzzled at that, and so Desmond gestured to Alec. 

"What, that he's a fire type? Unsurprising, really," Shaun replied, perching himself on a rock near Gwen. So either Shaun was playing dumb or really had no idea what Desmond was referencing. 

"Most people have something to say about a grown man whose daemon isn't fully evolved," Desmond said, his tone almost combative. Alec's grip on his jeans tightened briefly. Desmond desperately wanted Shaun's approval for some reason, perhaps it was the embarrassment over falling apart in the man's arms, and waited with bated breath for him to say something. 

"My grandfather's Graveler didn't evolve until he was almost fifty," Shaun said after a moment, trailing his fingers almost lazily around Gwen's sapphire toned gem. The cat Pokémon had her eyes half shut and she looked rather content to have her human paying such close attention to her. Desmond was honestly not surprised; Shaun was as fickle as they came, but he secretly loved attention and looked properly chuffed every time Desmond commented on a database entry or something. 

"Huh," Desmond said, flopping down onto the ground. Alec took no time to lay across his lap, keeping his burning tail at a safe distance from Desmond's sleeves while Desmond began to stroke along his back. Shaun had been right; Desmond was feeling far more grounded now that he had Alec in his reach. Desmond should have known that that would be the most helpful thing for him to do. It had been Altaïr's go to coping mechanism, releasing his beautiful, charcoal colored Rapidash Najihah from her ball whenever he was distressed. Ezio's Pidgeot, Raniero, had been a similar source of solace for him, and Desmond had spent far too many days in the Animus with his face buried in Raniero's plumage, which had, amusingly enough, been almost entirely white and crimson, save for a few splashes of rich brown. Shaun had joked about Raniero and Ezio being a matched set at one point. Desmond would have laughed had he not known the depths of despair from which Raniero rescued Ezio. And now Alec was rescuing him by laying his steadying weight in Desmond's lap to keep him grounded in the 21st century. 

 

They sat in silence for a long time, Gwen eventually knocking Shaun to the floor so she could sprawl out across his chest, and Alec's deep crimson skin twitching every so often as he melted into a puddle of relaxed Charmeleon goo, but eventually their earpieces buzzed into life. 

"When you two are done with your therapy session, dinner is done, and Desmond needs to be back in the Animus after we eat." William's voice laced through both of their heads and broke the peaceful silence that had fallen over the group. Alec's tail became so bright it was almost white-blue, and Desmond's hands clenched into fists. Shaun yelped as Gwen's claws came out and she dug them into her chest as a reaction to both of their anger, and she tore his jumper as she dislodged them, turning and slashing a deep set of gouges into the rock that Shaun had been sitting on. Shaun and Desmond's eyes met and Desmond smiled faintly. He was glad to have someone on his side. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ta da! some Poké-daemon reveals! With the exception of Tek, I've been rather deliberate about name choices for the daemons. My research may not be 100% accurate, but these are the meanings I found which lead to the choices
> 
> Najihah (Altaïr's Rapidash): an Arabic name meaning "victory"  
> Raniero (Ezio's Pidgeot): an Italian name meaning "wise warrior"   
> Alec (Desmond's Charmeleon): a Scottish name meaning "defender of man/mankind"  
> Gwen (Shaun's Persian): a Welsh name meaning "white, fair, blessed"


End file.
